- Chinese Name: 國立臺灣工藝研究發展中心
- Address: No. 573 Zhongzheng Rd., Catun Township, Nantou County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
- Site: https://en.ntcri.gov.tw/
The National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (NTCRI) is dedicated to the research, development, and promotion of Taiwan's craft industry, aiming to preserve traditional craft skills while developing products with nativist characteristics, and drawing on new design trends to inspire new products.
The NTCRI in Nantou County's Caotun Township is the nation's only national-level institute for craft arts. Its primary mission is to display, collect, study, and promote the country's craft arts and to make crafts educational and entertaining by showcasing local and international artwork.
Visitors can learn about the different aspects of craft arts by touring the five main centers in the park - the Craft Culture Center, the Craft Information Center, the Living Craft Center, the Craft Design Hall, and the Craft Hub. Workshops are also available at the Institute's metalwork, pottery, bamboo, and indigo dye studios.
In addition to helping the public learn more about craft arts, the Institute's other major missions are to preserve traditional craft skills, to refine research techniques, and to develop new products. Some of the studios regularly organize workshops to cultivate new generations of skilled craftspeople.
The Institute also runs the Craft Innovation Incubation Center to provide consultation, branding and marketing assistance, subsidies, and corporate planning for artisans and crafts companies.
The Institute currently has three branches in Taipei City, Miaoli County, and the Yingge District of New Taipei City.
Its Taipei Branch was launched as an exchange platform for contemporary crafts and design. The center hosts the country's top crafts honors — the National Crafts Awards and the National Crafts Achievement Awards — as well as the Taiwan Craft Competition.
The Miaoli Branch supports resident craftsmen who teach at its workshops, whereas the Yingge Branch, which is near a community renowned for ceramic production, focuses on developing works of art that fuse multiple craft mediums.